Scotland, the home of kilts, bagpipes, the Loch Mess Monster (aka Nessie), and Scotch! It's one of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom and is also the location for TV and film such as Outlander, Braveheart, and The Decoy Bride. If you haven't seen any of those, you're missing out!

This country has a lot to cover from Edinburgh, to Glasgow, the Highlands, and even the outer islands. That would be weeks if not months of travel and unfortunately time was not on my side. I focused on the capital of Edinburgh to maximize my visit, and even then this wasn't enough!

The city of Edinburgh looks like it's been dropped out of a fairytale, and I could not believe I was really there. With only about 36 hours before my flight to London, this is what I recommend doing on a short stay.

Things to Do

Walk The Royal Mile

The Royal Mile is a succession of streets that form a large shopping and dining district in the Old Town sector of Edinburgh. You'll find shops selling tartans, wool clothing, classic Scottish fare, and souvenirs! 

Restaurants galore if you're looking for the classic Haggis stack with neeps and tatties or even traditional Chinese, Italian, or American food!

The architecture of the area truly shows old Edinburgh blending into the modern day, and it's absolutely stunning.

Visit Edinburgh Castle

At the end of The Royal Mile lies this incredible military fortress and former residence of the Scottish Royal Family. Its construction began in the Iron Age, and it has undergone much rebuild and restoration up into the 21st century. The castle is still a working fort for the Scottish military, houses a private residence, and is home to the National War Museum. 

I highly recommend pre-booking your tickets online well in advance as they can sell out. Once sold out online, no more tickets will be available at the castle. The guided tour is also an amazing way to learn about the history of the location. It lasts about 45 minutes to an hour and even provides some exclusive access to areas.

Take a Vault and Graveyard Tour

If you're down for some late night activities into the darker side of Edinburgh's history, a tour of the Vaults & Greyfriars Kirkyard is perfect! I booked mine through Auld Reekie Tours which has many options for things to do in the city! If you get Fraser as your guide, you're going to have an incredible time. Make sure to leave him a good review, so his mother doesn't think he's made a terrible career choice! 

We got a ton of information in the graveyard about its history and some of the atrocities committed by some who are buried there.

The Edinburgh Vaults, or South Bridge Vaults, are a series of chambers formed in the nineteen arches of the South Bridge. Only one of the arches is visible from the streets today, while the others are accessible through tours. Careful as some of them are noted to be haunted!

Take a Johnnie Walker Whiskey Tour

Fans of Scottish Whiskey (and honestly even those who don't drink) will love taking a tour at Johnnie Walker Prince's Street! I booked the Johnnie Walker Journey of Flavour experience and was amazed at the performance put on. You learn about the history of the company, get three drinks (non-alcoholic is an option), and get to see amazing light shows! Prior to the tour, you take a quiz which helps customize the drinks to your palate! I was Blue for Smokey!

Afterward you can walk around the shop, maybe pick up an exclusive bottle of the Black Label Prince's Street Edition and even get it engraved! Tour participants also get 10% off in the shop afterward for up to a week.

See the Scott Monument

A Victorian Gothic monument in honor of Scottish author Sir Walter Scott. It's also the second-largest monument in the world dedicated to a writer. 

Though impressive to look at, you can also visit the inside of the monument to learn more about the author himself. For the daring, you can climb all four levels to the top to see views of the city! This does require a small entry fee.

Visit Greyfriars Kirkyard

Part of Greyfriars Kirk (Church) it's the graveyard & final resting place for thousands of individuals dating back to 1562. The graveyard itself is an incredible site with old tombstones, mausoleums, and even mortsafes (cages to prevent grave robbers) over some of the burial sites. It has been known to be the most haunted graveyard in the world, was the site of the open air prison for the Covenanters, and houses the grave of the infamous Bloody Mackenzie.

You can also find the grave of Tom "Riddle" Riddell who inspired J. K. Rowling's character in the Harry Potter books as well as a monument to Greyfriar Bobby, a sky terrier that watched over his owner's grave for fourteen years. There's also a restaurant outside the yard with the same name. The kirkyard is open 24 hours a day and is free to enter! 

Visit Victoria Street 

This picturesque street of colorful, winding shops and eateries was the inspiration to Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter franchise! Named after Queen Victoria, it starts by the Grassmarket and ends at the George IV Bridge. 

You'll find shops inspired by Harry Potter but also Scottish cheese, unique hot chocolate, tweed jackets, and vintage apparel. Don't worry about going hungry either as it's home to local spots such as Howie's, Oink, and Bertie's!

Restaurants

Royal Mile Tavern

As it sounds, this restaurant is right on The Royal Mile and the first place I ate in Edinburgh. Don't let the stereotypical name deter you, this was a great spot for some traditional Scottish food! Upon entering, you're asked if you're there for just drinks or if you'll also be having food. You're able to sit wherever there's space. The waitresses were extremely helpful and willing to answer all the questions I had. However, going in I already knew I was going in head first with Haggis, Neeps, & Tatties!

If you don't know what haggis is, it's about as Scottish as it gets. It's made from the liver, heart, and lungs of a sheep (or other animal), minced and mixed with beef or mutton suet (raw hard fat) and oatmeal and seasoned with onion, cayenne pepper, and other spices. Listen. I get that doesn't sound appetizing, but don't knock it until you try it! Neeps are mashed turnips, while tatties are just mashed potatoes. The dish is also traditionally served with a whiskey sauce.

Mine came as a stack, which is a typical way it's served, & let me tell you. I have eaten organ meats before, so I wasn't a total stranger to the taste, but wow! Haggis is actually delicious! I loved every bite of this dish and will absolutely eat haggis again. This cost only about £14.50 plus an automatic 10% service charge. This was the cheapest haggis I found on The Royal Mile. 

Whiski Rooms

An award-winning Scottish whiskey bar and restaurant not too far from The Royal Mile. It's warm and welcoming with an extensive whiskey list, wine and beer, plus classic Scottish dishes, and more! 

I came here on my last night in Edinburgh for a final full Scottish meal (I also admit I completely missed lunch, so I was very hungry). Similar to my previous experience, I was asked if I wanted just drinks or also food. There was no problem getting a table for one around 5:30pm on a Thursday, but if you're looking to eat later or on a weekend, I would highly recommend a reservation as they're quite popular. 

The waiter was very kind in assisting me with what to order. I explained how I wanted something traditionally Scottish, but had already had haggis. He recommended the venison loin with potatoes, carrots, and a red wine jus. I also appreciated his modesty in saying it was one of their more expensive dishes, but I ordered it anyway. He also suggested a dram of whiskey to pair with it & I ordered the Cullen Skink as an appetizer. This is a Scottish fish, potato, and leak cream soup, and it's absolutely lovely! 

When the whiskey came out, it was very small which concerned me about the price which was over £10. The glass also came with a large glass of water and a pipette, which furthered my confusion, but it was explained to me the water was optional to "open the whiskey" if I found it too strong. You would add a few drops at a time, and I definitely needed it! The whiskey was very strong and took my entire meal to finish despite its size, so don't worry if you think it's small. 

The venison was perfectly medium rare and soft. The potatoes were sliced and stacked in a cream or cheese sauce and the carrots with kale beautifully sautéed. Everything came together perfectly with the jus and I definitely recommend this dish! 

To top everything off, I finished with the Whiski Cranachan. This is a classic Scottish dessert with cream, raspberries, honey, whiskey, toasted oats, and raspberry gel. You can say it's similar to a parfait. Once I got through the very sweet top, the cream was lovely and a great way to finish everything off. My entire bill came to £72.49, which is steep, but I did it as a special treat for my last night. 

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